Of Gods and Vagabonds
by callat3am
Summary: [AU][SasuHina] In a land where mythical beings coexist with man, so too do the gods. For thirty-two years, he has gone without a real home, name, or purpose in life, until he meets her, and it all changes from there.
1. The Beginning

Chapter 1

* * *

He crept quietly, through the pitch black darkness, pausing only to raise his cowl over the lower half of his face, effectively muffling the sound of his breath. Proceeding, he tread carefully over the moist, uneven ground, his figure hugging the damp walls of the dank cave. The path was illuminated dimly by a distant light source further in the cave, presumably the giveaway marking the presence of his unsuspecting target.

The cave was located on the face of a snowcapped mountain range just northeast of Fjellreach. Access to the cave required a strong grip and sure footing for a steep climb up the cliff face; but not before trekking along several kilometers of mountain passes on the mountainous border that separated Alfengor from the Elven country of Konoha, and fending against several forms of aggressive wildlife. The alternative is to take a low mountain pass from the south straight into the open arms of the recently inhabited but heavily fortified stronghold.

He didn't need to think twice before he made his choice. He was built for stealth. He'd picked the cliff.

* * *

It was barely four in the morning when a messenger arrived for Logan, the deputy watch of Hellington, with a theft report. He grumbled in distaste, not wanting to leave the comfort of his warm office and surrender himself to the frigid October winds that blew and howled like a pack of wolves. But the messenger had braved it so with a half-hearted and self-pitying mood Logan took his men out to find the house of the man who had made the report.

The sender was a local farmer by the name of Shane, a musclebound, middle-aged man who was well known for his overprotective, territorial attitude over his land as well as his violent (though empty) threats to flay the flesh off of any man who walked uninvited upon his territory—which only served to further emphasize his brutish demeanor. He was a man of brawn over brains. Logan was very reluctant to have to deal with such an adamant man, but it had to be done.

A short distance away from the farm, the distinct shadows of two struggling silhouettes could be seen, contrasted sharply against the light from the house that pooled before the threshold. In closer proximity, Shane's flushed, snarling face could be seen as he wrestled with the thief in attempt to drag forward the resisting man. Logan almost felt sorry for this man whose ear Shane clutched with such a tight vehement grip. If only Shane hadn't immediately sprayed his face with his spit, braying about how the man had stolen onto his land and tried to take some of his property which currently lay in a sack now on his dining table. He was about to boast about how he had bravely sole-handedly caught the man before Logan cut him off asking him to release his hold on the thief, wiping the spit from his face, his mood soured.

"You take this son of a bitch, and make sure he never sets foot on my land again!"

Logan took a look at the silent captive, instantly recognizing the irritated sulking expression that glowered back. "Rest assured, sir, this man won't be making the same mistake again."

"Yeah? Well he'd better not or I'll flay—"

"—the flesh right off of him. Yeah, yeah. You'll want that sack off of your table too, and give the surface a good clean scrub, alright?"

"Wuh? That's _my_ stuff on the table there. What're you thinking, calling it dirty? You damned guard—"

"Is it? Wasn't aware you'd turned bounty hunter. Does your wife know?" Shane stared dumbstruck as his captive reached around him to pluck his claim.

"Hey! Get your hands _off_, you bastard!" Shane wrenched the bag away from the other man and began to tug on the opening. "The hell were you trying to steal anyways...tying this damned sack so tightly." As the strings finally came loose and the opening loosened, a foul stench became noticeable resembling that of rotted flesh. He could feel the blood draining from his face as it slowly dawned on him the exact contents of the bag. "By the gods...get out." It was said so quietly that no one heard it at first. Not even he was sure that he'd said it. But then whatever was clouding his mind had disappeared and Shane returned at full power, red-faced and furious. "GET OUT!" he bellowed. "Get the fucking hell _out_ of my house!" And everyone who hadn't heard it the first time heard it now and began to retreat out of the door.

Shane's wife appeared at the staircase instantly, her eyes wide and hands clutched at her chest. "Shane, is everything alright?" "Go back upstairs, Yeulla," was the strained reply. The woman dutifully dashed back up and out of sight. Humiliated, Shane turned upon the bounty hunter, "and _you_, I don't want to see your face. Ever."

"I'd be happy to oblige," snarled the wrongly accused just before the door was slammed in his face, leaving him and the watchmen to the biting winds outside. "In a muscle-bound brute who's nothing but talk, there hides a coward," a watchman remarked.

"Oh, drop it," Logan sighed.

The moon was low in the sky and there were the slightest hints of daybreak on the edge of the wide starry expanse of sky. It was out in rural lands away from the towns and cities that the stars really came out from the dark ebony sky. The lights from towns and cities scare stars into hiding, some say; and Hellington was three days walk away from the nearest town of Cathlafore.

"So, Sei, who's the unlucky man," Logan asked as his team and the bounty hunter began to make their way back.

"Morgan. Morgan Bale."

Logan let out a low whistle. He was impressed. He had heard of Sei, from gossip in taverns and data record on papers. Apparently the man had only begun bounty hunting two years back, but had quickly assumed the lead with the highest number of successful bounties turned in. Damn straight, Logan was impressed. And now he was looking at the real deal and gods, he was impressed by this quiet brooding man with his sack over a shoulder. A sack that contained the head of a man with a bounty of over ten thousand gold. Donned in dark leather, everything about Sei screamed lone wolf. A light build. Archery equipment for stealth. What he lacked in durability, he likely made up for in stealthy speed and accuracy. Yet Logan couldn't help but to wonder just that man had successfully managed to take down a criminal mastermind—not to mention _Morgan Bale_—alone. The notorious human trafficking, child kidnapping murderer was not an easy man to take down. He had men, men who were not to be messed with, men who were large, powerful, frightening and just the sight of them made children cry, wet their pants, and fly into the arms of their parents who were likely just as incapable and helpless as they were.

"Yeah, I know who he is," Logan said, mostly to himself.

They returned to Hellington's guard post to find the guard captain waiting for them in the doorway. Harthlow was a stocky man a head shorter than his deputy, but where he lacked in height, he made up for with a muscular build. He leaned against the frame, scratching his auburn beard as he watched the team approach. "Well what have we here, 'ey? Sei, the legendary bounty hunter." Harthlow descended the steps. "Who the hell named you that anyways? Horrible naming skills on their part."

Logan blinked. "Sorry, sir, what?"

"The word 'Sei' means 'who' in one of the local dialects of the Elven. In other words, the man's like a ghost. A nobody."(*)

Sei said nothing. "Well anyways, c'mon in and let's have a look at that head."

Most of the men returned to their posts as the captain took his deputy and Sei aside to examine and identify the head. "Routine, y'know, not that we doubt the legendary bounty hunter." Sei thought the captain talked too much.

They opened the sack. Harthlow reached in and pulled out the head. "Yeah, that's Bale alright," he growled out. He surveyed the damage. "Face unmarred, clean cut to the throat." He paused. "A bit _too _clean. You'd done it another way, eh? Dark veins... poison. And _then_ you hacked off his head. Damn impressive. And you took care of every other man in that ol' garrison? Had a bit of help or something of the sort?"

Nonchalantly, Sei replied, "I was alone."

"You sure were," Harthlow whistled. "Can't imagine you getting along with any other human being anyways. You wait here while I get you your letter. You can collect your pay at the capital. Gotta notify the officials. Paperwork. Yada, yada, you know the details."

As he exited the room, Sei turned his back on the deputy to survey the tabletop covered with names and pictures of people with counties on their heads. Bale's was not yet removed, one in the sea of papers. One came to Sei's notice, and it wasn't because of the incredibly large bounty, but the person.

"What had this _child _done to incur such a high bounty?" he questioned. Children committing crimes of theft, aggression, deception, and/or accomplice was common; it happened all the time. But the crimes were never so serious as to incur a bounty. Even when caught, only children ages twelve or older could be at worst sentenced to hanging. This one didn't even seem to be above ten. Below 12, a child could be cost a right hand or a tongue, but rarely, very rarely, their head. Even more so, one of a little girl.

He turned around to find the deputy staring at the same sheet, wearing an expression of frustration. Maybe because of the extremely lacking details they could provide on the child. Maybe because they couldn't even get a depiction of her image for her poster. "I know what you're thinking, Sei," Logan answered, "but this isn't some mischievous human child here. It's a moon god."

"Moon god," Sei repeated slowly. "And since when did we stop worshipping deities and start hunting them instead?"

"These aren't the deities we worship," Logan replied. "They are powerful beings that aren't to be taken lightly. You see, this one's got the appearance of an eight-year-old, but I'm willing to bet it's at least fifty. These things are shape shifters, which is why they've got such high adaptive ability. And that makes them dangerous, you see? Between them and us, they're stronger. They're the dominating species. We could get wiped out. They're a threat, completely different from elves. Elves—"

"I know elves," Sei snapped, suddenly feeling very irritated. Like humans, elves were very dependent on a stable environment and had relatively low reproduction rate. The key difference, besides appearance, was in their aging process. The average elf lives about two hundred years, spending most of its lengthy life as an adult. Because of their many biological similarities, elves and humans have managed to live in peaceful coexistence and in some cities, intermingle with one another. They can generally be found anywhere, even in the desert country of Aqesor that bordered the south-west of Alfengor and is extremely different from the elves' natural biome.

"So why call them gods? Why not demons?"

"It's not as if I came up with term," Logan sighed. "And they're not exactly demons, since they've done to us no harm so far."

"Then there's no reason to hunt them."

He left Logan to plant himself into a chair on the other side of the room and proceeded to observe the banners that draped over the stone walls.

"It's not that simple," the guard deputy commented exasperatedly. Sei snorted. Logan couldn't be more obvious with his remark. The need to get a point across while still holding back the important information. He was hiding something big, something a person without the credentials and authority shouldn't know.

"Right, I get it. Politics, conquest, greed... who hasn't heard that story before? Just leave me out of it."

Logan had fallen silent and resigned to brooding quietly by the window. Heavy footsteps sounded, signaling Harthrow's return as he strode into the room, scroll in hand. Completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere that had built up in his absence, he tossed the scroll to Sei. "Here. Take that to the earl of Hjentrum. He'll give you your payment." Sei nodded and took the scroll. Giving the poster of the moon god one last glance, he left the post as wordlessly as he had come.

* * *

It was already six in the morning. The sun was peeking over the eastern horizon and he could hear the sounds of the village coming to life as he passed by. The early risers were up. Farmers rose to tend to their crops and animals and women swept their thresholds or performed other chores.

There was one tavern in the village, The Dancing Boar, and it was still closed in the early hour. There would probably still be another two hours before the tavern would open, but Sei wanted to gain as much ground as possible while there was still daylight. He rapped loudly on the door, only to be greeted by a beaming face rather than the beyond-pissed expression he had been expecting. Perhaps Shane's baying from a few hours before had awaken the entire village. Seeing his embarrassment probably set them in a good mood.

"Welcome! Lucky for you, we've opened early today. What would you like? A drink? A meal? Or perhaps a room to rest yourself from your weary travels? You look like the travelling type—"

"Just beef stew and bread will do," Sei said quickly. The tavern keeper's bubbly mood was setting him on edge. He took a seat at one of the tables farthest from the counter, preferring to as far away from the animated man.

"Beef stew and bread it is!"

"And ale."

"But of course!"

* * *

The sounds of their morning business grew softer and softer and gradually disappeared as he gained distance from the village boundaries, walking down the dirt road that he knew headed for the merchant town of Ivorsfel. It would be a good place to gather some information, as well as a good rest. From there he would continue travelling north up to Brimford, and finally to Hjentrum. Fortunately there were no mountain routes in this trip. It would take approximately six days in total, he estimated. May as well do some minor hunting en route.

The tavern keeper had charged him nine coins for the meal, and he mentally berated himself for the amount of the expense. It would be a little under a week's time before he would receive the reward payment of three hundred, and he had little more than forty coins to sustain him during that time. While he had wolfed down the beef stew while it was hot, he had packed the bread and ale to save for the road. He would hunt most of his meals for the week, intending to preserve his small stash. Luckily, he had also managed to barter off a great deal of the valuables he had found in the garrison, therefore bringing his total to a little over seventy coins. Fortune seemed to be on his side.

Keeping the forest on his left, Sei moved north-east, stopping only once to shoot a small fowl to save for later. By noon, he had moved into the forest, staying close to the edge. Half the bread was gone by evening, and he was halfway to Ivorsfel, but he was weary and hadn't slept the night before thanks to a certain muscle-bound farmer. Tonight he would have his rest.

There was a small stream within the forest, which he used to wash his retrieved arrow. And perhaps he could wash his face a little too, grimy as it was from his last escapade. By the time he was done plucking and gutting his kill, there was a good fire sizzling and crackling in the center of his little camp. It was time for dinner. He took out a little bronze pan from his satchel, and hung it over the fire, then stabbed a green alder stick through the small bird and hung it over the pan. He settled back to watch it cook, turning the stick occasionally, watching the juices drip into the pan below.

Tomorrow he would wake early and continue down the trail. By tomorrow nightfall he would reach Ivorsfel. But that wasn't today's concern. Today was just getting a good night's sleep. And his dinner was ready. The meat was tough and stringy, but he devoured most of the fowl and drank the broth from the pot. After a whole day of dried preserves, the bird, however old it was, provided a good meal. The rest, was tomorrow's.

Sei leaned back against the tree. It was only five in the evening but he could feel the two nights of lost sleep catching up on him. Most of it probably came from his meal. He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the forest, allowing himself to be lulled to sleep.

* * *

**A/N**: (*) – _Sei_ is the Chinese pronunciation for 「誰」which means "who".

In this fanfic that takes place in AU, Elven is essentially Japanese (generally Oriental). While I originally planned to have different ethnic races for both humans and elves, it didn't really make sense for the ethnicities of two _different_ species to be the same. So I had to divide the two in order to accommodate the plot.

To help with all the names and locations, I've also come up with a map that I will upload onto my DeviantArt account, as well as some illustrations every now and then. I'm really very into this new project you see :)

The link to my gallery will be on my profile.

The name of the title "Of Gods and Vagabonds" is inspired by the book "Of Mice and Men," for those of you who didn't get the reference.


	2. The Leopardess

A/N: I forgot to mention in the previous chapter, but the first section in each chapter takes place twelve years before the actual events of the story.

* * *

Chapter Two

* * *

Twelve years ago-

The bandits weren't so difficult to find. The sounds of their idle chatter reverberated along the cave walls, giving away their position. He followed the sounds through the darkness until a large and spacious cavern came into view. A few meters away from where he stood, the ground sloped down into a large pool interrupted by a small peninsula that jutted out from the opposing cavern wall. Two pillars stood rising from the pool, located to the right. Light filtered in from a hole in the icicle-covered roof, just above the end of the peninsula, illuminating the entire cavern in a bright, blue light. If he had the time, he would have stopped to take in the beautiful sight. But he had a task at hand, so sightseeing would have to wait.

His targets were amateurs, he realized. While the pool offered them a good measure of defense, increasing the amount of time it would take for a hostile to reach them, they had built their camp directly under the spotlight from the hole in the roof. A single platform located on one of the pillars offered the perfect spot for a guard archer, but was momentarily deserted, bows and arrows strewn across the wooden panels. Not to mention, he occupied the only escape route they had. They knew how to run and hide, but were unprepared for a fight, perhaps too confident in their geographical location. But they may as well have offered themselves on a silver platter.

He had slaughtered them all almost instantly, although the last one had required a bit of a chase. The effortlessness of the task had him suspicious immediately. He had been tasked with this assignment by Jogjebi, an old acquaintance, who had come to him asking for his help to clear out a deadly group of bandits that had also taken a little boy from Fjellreach as hostage. But the bandits were amateurs and there was no hostage. There was no way that he could had overlooked any other aspect of the cave that might have hidden something else...

* * *

A thin mist cloaked the town, enveloping it in the dream-like quality of a morning just before sunrise. Yet the streaks of light that streamed through the cracks in the mist, drenching the dark wooden rooftops and cobblestone streets in its glow, heralded the golden hour of dawn. It was eight in the morning, and from a few blocks away, the deep tolls from the bell of the Ergenben Temple could be heard as its priests and priestesses completed their morning ritual.

Like many other merchant towns, Ivorsfel had an altar devoted to Ergenben, the goddess of love, fertility, hope, and wealth. The altar was located in the grandiose temple.

A flock of doves cluttered past his room, the gust from their wings rattling the window panes. Groggily resisting the morning, Sei buried his face into the pillow and let the wild strands of his dark hair curtain his face. But his right arm was beginning to go numb, so he rolled to the right of the bed. Turning his back against the window, he swung his arm over what should have been half a meter of empty space, but was for some reason occupied by another form that lay in his bed. He opened his eyes to find a pair of gold that stared back into his own obsidian.

Ivorsfel. By the the time he had reached the town entrance, it was already nightfall. He had headed straight for The Weeping Lady and purchased a room for the night, intending to catch a decent amount of sleep. In the morning, he would fetch himself breakfast from the marketplace (it was much cheaper there than the inn would offer) and pay a visit to the old fletching stall to restock on some arrows. Before ten o'clock, he'd be off and on his way to Brimford, the final stop before Hjentrum, the capital. He'd had his entire schedule planned out, as usual, and had intended to follow it down to the millisecond.

Though, he hadn't counted on meeting her at the inn. The leopardess, Mati'Karui.

"Morning, handsome. Looking for another round?" she teased, gently stroking the arm he had unintentionally swung around her shoulder. While her look was playful and her words were meant to mock his having been caught off-guard, he was sure that if he had shown even the slightest inclination of a yes, she'd have pounced him on the spot.

What the hell happened last night?

"What are you doing here," he retorted, as he inwardly groaned and retracted his arm, turning back towards the window. Sei was not in any mood to deal with the seductress.

"How rude," she chuckled and pressed up against his back, an arm sliding its way across his abdomen. She leaned on the other arm, reaching over to nibble his ear. "You should be asking yourself that, ravaging my body so forcefully the way you did last night."

Sei could feel her hand stroking lower and lower, and already his body was reacting to her touch. He brushed her hand away. His body might want one thing, but his mind wanted another-and that was to get this crazy woman out of his bed. Not to mention, his lower half was aching and sore. Just who _exactly _was doing the ravaging last night? "No, I didn't. Get off, Karui."

"Now you're denying it," Karui sighed, mocking a hurt tone. In one swift motion, she grasped his shoulder in one hand and threw him back against the bed, at the same time swinging a leg over so that she was straddling his hips. She grinded slowly against him, further stimulating the erection he was trying to calm. Her lips only a hair's breadth from Sei's throat, murmured into the toned curve, "How could such a horrible man possibly exist?"

"Well, you're sitting on him in his bed," he growled, doing his best to resist. Gods, that woman had an amazing stamina. "So I suggest you get out."

Reluctantly, Karui pulled back. The annoyance couldn't be any clearer on her face. "It's been about five years since we'd last met, and you haven't changed in the slightest." She slipped off the bed, the back of her gleaming naked form bathed in the curtain of sunlight that flooded in through the window. Even without looking, Sei knew she was a beautiful woman, the bronze goddess of Suna, a wildcat in bed.

More so, she was the daughter of the merchant lord, 'A'.

"What are you doing in Ivorsfel," Sei groaned exasperatedly as he threw the covers off with the intention of clothing himself. His trousers lay strewn before the foot of the bed, his shirt and boots at the door. He threw them on and proceeded to search for his fur-rimmed leather coat. "You've no business here. Where's my-"

He turned to see the still-nude Karui reclining on a small wooden chair by the window, glancing at him with raised brows and an expectant expression. A slim leg crossed over the other as she reclined comfortably into the wooden back, stroking her cheek with a lazy finger absentmindedly. Cushioned under her bottom was his coat. Karui followed his eyes down to her seat. In realization, she smirked. "Oh, you mean this? Well, come get it."

He was tired of her games. "What is it you want from me?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"You know very well what I mean," he sighed. "Look, you and I both know that you don't do things without an ulterior motive lurking around. So I suggest you get straight to the point, so that we can stop playing around and go our own ways."

"I'm hurt. Can't a person just want to spend time with an old friend without being suspicious?"

"Anyone but you."

Karui raised her brow skeptically, before she arched her back, seductively twisting against the back of the chair. Her fiery amber gaze and parted lips scattered whatever coherent thought he had in his mind. She purred, "And why should I tell you, when you left me so...unsatiated?"

Sei grit his teeth in annoyance, refocusing at the matter at hand. As much as he hated to admit it, he was more or less at this woman's mercy; he couldn't threaten to kill her-she'd know it was an empty threat. If he _did_ plan to kill her, he would have to prepare himself in making an enemy out of most of the country of Suna, which would only complicate the situation. 'A' was not a man to be messed with, with the sand emperor backing him.

"Alright, don't tell. I'm leaving." He turned away, deciding that he didn't give a damn about his jacket. It was old anyways, a gift from a time long ago he felt would be better to forget. Gathering his things, Sei prepared to leave the room.

"Oh? Well, I guess you're not interested in knowing the whereabouts of the man who killed your wife."

Sei felt his blood run cold as he froze in his tracks. He turned around to face the now solemn Karui who was putting on her own clothes.

"Tell me where he is."

"I need you to do something," Karui replied, preoccupied with fastening a leather buckled strap across her torso that held up the belt around her hips, where a steel dagger hung. She wore a faded yellow dress under an umber brown hooded robe, complete with leather boots. No trace of accessories besides two golden studs, one per earlobe. Her long red mane was free of the usual bandanna, wild around her finely chiseled features. Sei noticed, now that he was taking her seriously, that her skin was a tint paler than it's usual bronze glory, and that her red hair had lost its usual fine kempt sheen.

"Seems you've been here up north a while. For at least a few months now," Sei observed. Aqesor was collapsing due to the civil war. Rebels were receiving aid from Halcons, the elite sellswords from the city of Suna, commissioned by the elves along the Aqesorian border who could offer more than the Aqesorian bigwigs in debt. Highborns and loyalists alike were targeted and killed for their alliance with the dying emperor, and Sei knew that Karui, the daughter of not just any merchant lord but _the_ merchant lord 'A', was here to try and change that.

She was also a target.

"Well, aren't you still the ever observant," Karui remarked with a tight smile. Her eyes, on the other hand, spoke of a weary tale. "Civil war has really taken its toll, I'm afraid." He nodded almost absentmindedly and walked past her to take a glance out the window. His eyes scanned the streets, picking up the sight of two Aqesorian sellswords maneuvering through the market, scouring the area for whom he assumed would be Karui.

"You're not alone." It wasn't a statement of comfort.

"Halcons?"

"No."

"Damned trackers then," her brow furrowed. "I stay in one place a tad too long and they're already on my tail." She stood by the door, a crossbow in hand beneath her robe. "Let's not stay here. How much do you know?"

"Enough to know what you want," he answered. "So give me a name."

"Or maybe a crossbow, because it's going to be a lot faster than your bow and arrow," Karui replied cynically and scowled as she peeked into the inn's hallway. "I really don't understand why you don't use them."

"No need to," Sei responded.

"Because it was the weapon used to kill your wife?"

Sei said nothing, but put on his jacket and positioned himself beside Karui at the door. On a second thought, he returned to the window and tilt the sash open, taking care to avoid being seen. He took his position beside Karui again, wielding a dagger and nodding to indicate that he was ready. With Karui so far into Alfengor territory, the Aqesorian rebels wouldn't risk sending too much of their manpower for her head. The elves couldn't do much either with their strained relationship with the Alfengorians. But if there were one or two more trackers who had already made it into the inn, Sei preferred a stealthy dagger over an arrow. "Between the inn and the town walls. We'll take them out there."

"Gotcha."

They exited into the hallway, down the flight of stairs and onto the ground floor, where they stealthily made their way past the dining hall and exited through the door in the back corridor. The inn was situated in a corner of the town, against two of the town walls. His room faced one of the walls, but from an angle, the market on the perpendicular street was visible.

Concealed behind the corner, the two watched the sellswords approach the inn. Sei replaced his dagger with his bow and with his other hand, picked up an empty ale bottle from the ground and tossed it against the wall, resulting in a slight clattering sound, attracting the attention of the sellswords, who peered around the building at the sound. One glanced up, taking notice of the open window, and gestured towards her companion. They drew their weapons as they cautiously, but quickly entered the alley, nearing Sei and Karui's hiding place. Sei readied his weapon, drawing an arrow across the bow. Karui, who was closer to the corner, quietly switched her weapon to the steel dagger, deciding to join Sei in taking the quieter and stealthier approach.

It wouldn't be good to involve the authorities in the matter.

As the sellswords rounded the corner, Karui pounced, grabbing the first sellsword and swinging her around with the momentum before drawing her blade across the surprised woman's throat. Sei let his arrow fly, where it took its place between the eyes of the second sellsword, killing him instantly. The force of the impact launched his body back against the wall where it collapsed limply like a ragdoll.

After a while, Karui breathed a sigh. "Well, that takes care of them."

"Let's clear the area before the town guards come," Sei warned as he pulled his arrow from the dead man's head, wiping the blood on the man's clothing. He would rather not be convicted of manslaughter, especially when he was on the way to Hjentrum to collect his pay...

"Good idea."

* * *

"When we met about ten years ago, you were a mess."

Karui and Sei walked along the stalls, looking for the old fletching merchant. They'd had their breakfast, which Karui had been more than willing to pay for in order to return the favor from earlier, but Sei had refused, citing her own scarce coins as a reason. Twelve years ago he would have refused out of the sake of his own pride, but now he was just a wandering vagabond, with nothing left to lose-except vengeance. "Who says I've gotten out of it?"

"I thought you might have had, after all these years. Well, that is until this morning. Your reaction to the information told me otherwise."

"Tell me what you have on him."

Karui's gaze softened, but she kept her eyes on the passing stalls. "You really loved her didn't you."

"Karui.."

They came to a stop before the fletching stall, where an older man sat cross-legged on a mat, surrounded by barrels of bows and arrows. In his lap he held a slender but firm bow which he was in the process of stringing up. With a shock of grey hair, he seemed to be nearing his sixties, but his build spoke against his age. He possessed the greatness of a blacksmith, the finely measured strength of a woodworker, and the wizened pride of a swordsman. Even after he'd fastened both ends securely, he seemingly ignored them, as if entirely disinterested in selling off his merchandise.

"Still alive and breathing, eh? Damn old Hatake," Sei snorted.

"I could say the same for you, damn brat," Hatake returned, with the same condescending attitude. For all that could be said, the two may as well have been father and son. He still didn't look up at them. "You've brought a lady with you. Couldn't have settled down now could you?"

"No. An acquaintance."

"Yeah, didn't think there could ever be someone who would fall for the likes of you."

"Rin?" Sei single-handedly changed the subject. Karui couldn't help but to wonder about the two men's relationship.

"Hen-pecking me relentlessly. Makes me almost miss my days of being a mercenary."

Had he not known the man for the last thirteen years, he might have believed that. But Sei knew better. Hatake would never yearn for the grueling days that were so long behind him. He was now trying to lay low, to escape the past he tried to leave behind. For Hatake, settling down and living out the dog days was the better choice, something Sei couldn't bring himself to understand.

Then again, they lived for different purposes.

"But you're not really asking me out of good will, now are you?" Hatake pointed out, tossing Sei a fine bundle of arrows. He rested his elbows on his knees in a slouch, finally raising his head to fix Sei a stern look. "What you're _really_ interested in is whether what Rin and I have now could ever have been possible for you."

"Absurd."

Hatake shrugged as he picked up a second bow and began to polish. "And I say no."

"Explain," Sei growled as he tossed the other man twenty-five gold pieces for the bundle.

"It's a gut thing."

Sei was silent for moment, his expression dark as his brows furrowed in thought. "You're wrong. And we're leaving." Sei turned heel and strode off. With a slight nod as a parting gesture, Karui followed suite.

She followed him out of the market and to the town gates, where he stood, hesitant and waiting. Karui could see with his back against her that he had already strapped the bundle firmly across his back, aligned with his bow. He stood strong and tall against the light of the late morning sun rising up high in the sky, and as her eyes travelled over his form, she could remember the warm touch of his skin on hers as their bodies feverishly intertwined under the covers in the inn. She'd wished that the night had never ended. It would perhaps be the last time they would ever embrace in such a manner. Perhaps even the last time they would ever see one another. It was such a shame that he was so bound to that one woman..

"Karui."

She snapped out of her thoughts to see him staring back at her, with an unreadable expression.

"Tell me what you have on Jogjebi."


End file.
